BY SARAH ROSS
SALEM- Since the enforcement of Oregon smoking ban took place in January, business in the state’s previously smoker-friendly locations has dropped.
There is no question that the smoking ban has taken a toll on the state’s businesses but to the degree that the ban or the recession is responsible is still uncertain. Many businesses throughout the state have said that they’ve seen losses.
Kara Thallon of the Oregon Restaurant Association noted that taverns and bars have taken the hardest hits since the ban but that is not clear if its due to the recession or the smoking ban. She was confident that video lottery in these locations has dropped significantly because of the ban. She noted that many customers that would come in to play the video lottery machines, no longer come in or simply do not play as often because they have to leave the building in order to smoke.
Spokeswoman, Mary Loftin, of the Oregon Lottery reported that in the week of December 12th, video lottery sales were down 21.27% since the same time last year.
While Loftin made clear that there is no way to differentiate between the effects of the smoking ban and the recession, she did note that other states that have implemented smoking bans took around 2 years to bounce back to pre-smoking ban numbers.
Not only have taverns and bars taken hits, however. Tobacco shops have also faced challenges in getting their exemptions for the ban.
Salem cigar shop owner Saadeh Hadeed was confronted in February by the Marion County Department of Human Services for the simple purpose of needing to file for an exemption to the smoking ban put into effect in January of 2009. Soon after filing his application with the department, he received a letter from DHS telling him that his request for an exemption was denied. This questionable decision was because the business, Aava Cigar and Wine, was not seen as “stand alone,” meaning that it is connected to other business in the area.
Yet, the smoke shop is not inside but is on the premises of an outdoor mall with a single entrance opening to one of the mall’s courtyards. The business also has a 3 fan ventilation system to redirect smoke from the store to be released outside, above the roof of the shop. Since finding out that an exemption was needed for Aava’s, the shop has not allowed smoking on its premises which has brought sales down by $1,200 to $1,400 a week.
Jan Esler- Rowe, owner of Cascade Cigar and Tobacco, estimated that the ban took $120,000 from her company’s bottom line and forced her to lay off 4 employees when she had to choose between selling cigars and selling alcohol.
“The smoking ban has been horrendous. Just look what it has done to the lottery funds,” said Esler-Rowe. “It really has impacted small business much more than large businesses. The guys with the deep pockets get all of the exemptions and many of us just can’t afford to keep up.”
Since the enforcement of Oregon smoking ban took place in January, business in the state’s previously smoker-friendly locations has dropped.
There is no question that the smoking ban has taken a toll on the state’s businesses but to the degree that the ban or the recession is responsible is still uncertain. Many businesses throughout the state have said that they’ve seen losses.
Kara Thallon of the Oregon Restaurant Association noted that taverns and bars have taken the hardest hits since the ban but that is not clear if its due to the recession or the smoking ban. She was confident that video lottery in these locations has dropped significantly because of the ban. She noted that many customers that would come in to play the video lottery machines, no longer come in or simply do not play as often because they have to leave the building in order to smoke.
Spokeswoman, Mary Loftin, of the Oregon Lottery reported that in the week of December 12th, video lottery sales were down 21.27% since the same time last year.
While Loftin made clear that there is no way to differentiate between the effects of the smoking ban and the recession, she did note that other states that have implemented smoking bans took around 2 years to bounce back to pre-smoking ban numbers.
Not only have taverns and bars taken hits, however. Tobacco shops have also faced challenges in getting their exemptions for the ban.
Salem cigar shop owner Saadeh Hadeed was confronted in February by the Marion County Department of Human Services for the simple purpose of needing to file for an exemption to the smoking ban put into effect in January of 2009. Soon after filing his application with the department, he received a letter from DHS telling him that his request for an exemption was denied. This questionable decision was because the business, Aava Cigar and Wine, was not seen as “stand alone,” meaning that it is connected to other business in the area.
Yet, the smoke shop is not inside but is on the premises of an outdoor mall with a single entrance opening to one of the mall’s courtyards. The business also has a 3 fan ventilation system to redirect smoke from the store to be released outside, above the roof of the shop. Since finding out that an exemption was needed for Aava’s, the shop has not allowed smoking on its premises which has brought sales down by $1,200 to $1,400 a week.
Jan Esler- Rowe, owner of Cascade Cigar and Tobacco, estimated that the ban took $120,000 from her company’s bottom line and forced her to lay off 4 employees when she had to choose between selling cigars and selling alcohol.
“The smoking ban has been horrendous. Just look what it has done to the lottery funds,” said Esler-Rowe. “It really has impacted small business much more than large businesses. The guys with the deep pockets get all of the exemptions and many of us just can’t afford to keep up.”
